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10 agencies raid 7 buildings in South Bakersfield

Four businesses are shut down after a drug and illegal gambling bust Wednesday morning.

A spokesman from Bakersfield Police said the busts happened around 9AM in South Bakersfield near Chester Avenue.

When 23 ABC talked with people in the area, they told us they don't think one raid is enough.

Lupie Van Meter said she spends about half of her time at her boyfriend's who lives near one of the raids. She said, "I don't want my grandchildren subject to that. No kid should have to be subject to that, to people selling dope on the corner out in the open like it's no big deal."

Van Meter said she's glad police are taking steps in this area to prevent her grandchildren from being around drugs.

Wednesday ten different law enforcement agencies at the city, county and federal levels raided seven places in South Bakersfield, most on South Chester Avenue.

A spokesman for Bakersifeld Police, Sgt. Ryan Kroeker, said over 30 pounds of the drug spice, large amounts of marijuana, a half ounce of meth and $6,200 dollars were seized during the raids.

He said all four businesses raided were shut down because they're unsafe. Three of those businesses were smoke and gift shops, the other was an illegal gambling hall.

Sgt. Kroeker also said this is just the beginning of their crack down on spice.

"We're doing everything that we can do to make sure that the individuals who want to ingest that, it's harder for them to get. And maybe making it difficult for them to get that's the reason for them to not want to do it," said Sgt. Kroeker.

Neighbors like Van Meter think the police raid was a good start at cracking down on the problem. And Van Meter said she'd like to see more police patrols in the area and think the rest of the community speak up more.

"Do something. It only takes one to, only one person to do something. And maybe the person next to you will think the same way you do. And it will be like a domino effect," said Van Meter.

As of Wednesday afternoon Sgt. Kroeker said no one has been arrested because of these raids.